Blind Independence

Freed to be enslaved
It is the unnatural way of things accepted as natural
It's the resignation of hopes and dreams
The leading of a miserable life
It is the acceptance of wrong without questioning

Blind independence
It is the fear of one's trusted kinsman
The backsliding of the pardoned soul 
The subtleness of deceit
The lies told to the image in the mirror

Blind independence
It is attention paid to the temporal and the neglect of the immortal
It is the seizing of human drums 
The dancer who ignores the song in his heart
The envious gaze of angels

Blind independence
It is the democracy of the complacent
The choice to remain as ignorant as one once was before knowing the truth
It is to act 'Christian' while blood is shed and nothing is said
It is to resist change

Blind independence
It is the folly of the illiterate leading the literate
It is the plight of trying to teach the obstinate
It is the curse of not knowing one is saved
It is the choice to stay in darkness when light shines just a step ahead

Blind independence
It the irony of the man who remains hungry long after food has been served
It is pride of the greedy who promises to be fair
It is the shame of the followers of the lost
The mockery of those who resist change

Blind independence
It is the refusal to be enslaved by strangers and the acceptance to be enslaved by brothers
The foolishness of resorting to terror
The abandoning of the round table
The frustration of 'all talk and no action'


Blind independence
It is the shame of heroes past
The pain of the present generation
The burden of generations to come

Blind independence
It is to forget yesterday
To ignore today
To refuse to consider tomorrow.

Blind Independence
Strange
Absurd
It is a contradiction

Nigeria’s Worst Crime against Itself

There is a vicious cycle that needs to be broken over our great country. It is the culture, civilisation if you please, of illiteracy. Stark illiteracy I should say. That is to say we have fully acknowledged our ignorance, accepted our ignorance and progressed in our ignorance.  In recent years we have celebrated, and that publicly, mediocrity. It is alarming indeed to see the quickness with which we embrace our very own ignorance. Instead of breaking this chain, we have dulled our senses to the slavery of benightedness.

In an age where information and knowledge is abundantly made accessible, it is sad to see how we adamantly refuse to learn. Our nescience, empty - headedness if you please, is bewildering. Should it be any surprise how shallow our society is?

Someone once said, "The importance of education cannot be neglected by any nation. And in today’s world, the role of education has become even more vital. It is an absolute necessity for economic and social development of any nation." 

Knowing this, what are we doing to improve education in our country? The value of education has become so demeaned, it is now a business where illiterate business men employ illiterate teachers to teach our children and roll out more illiterates.

Any business man who wants to stand out and be successful knows to employ outstanding professionals and experts. Government has failed in its duty to the nation. It has failed to provide the citizenry with quality basic education. It’s a vicious succession of illiterate leaders, employing illiterate trainers to train illiterate teachers to grow and harvest illiterate students.

What do we do? Here’s the debate.

It is Eleanor Roosevelt that said, "It is today we must create the world of the future." If knowledge is indeed power, knowledge then controls access to opportunity and growth which is what we have been crying for as a nation. How can we as a nation sit still and see opportunities pass us by?

There will be nothing sadder than to see teachers who cannot read the very language they are supposed to train with!  

It begs the questions; who trained them? Who employed them? Who has been accessing them for the number of years they have been teaching? Where are the students they have trained? And what contribution are they making to the society?

It is cheerless to think of the problems we have created by our negligence! Is it any wonder that we are where we are as a nation?

I believe the time for change has come. Government needs to be overhauled. We need intelligent leaders who are in touch with the times and the changes these times demand. We need a paradigm shift. Policies and laws need to address these issues. Education should be given its rightful place and the attention required to make it worthwhile.

But like Henry Steele Commanger said, "Change does not necessarily assure progress, but progress implacably requires change. Education is essential to change, for education creates both new wants and the ability to satisfy them."  

Having said all that, I must add that, I do not believe in leaving the fate of my child’s future to government’s ability to create change.  The culture of corruption has bred such deep distrust of government’s intention. Nothing is done with care or attention. Greed is the very stitch that holds our nation’s leadership and society’s cloak in place. It is appalling to see the waste of our resources on projects that die natural deaths due to negligence, disinterest in the welfare of the people and gross disregard to the rule of law because, of course, it does not exist in this country. To change would require uncloaking. We need to divest ourselves of the very seam that makes us who we are today - a corrupt nation.

We can get away with anything now. But time and history always pays!

I believe that to move this country forward, we the citizenry that know what to do, should do the little we can, where we can. I believe that when Nigeria changes, government’s role in that change will be little or completely imperceptible. Thomas Jefferson stated this clearly when he said, "Every government degenerates when trusted to the rulers of the people alone. The people themselves, therefore, are its only safe depositories. And to render them safe, their minds must be improved to a certain degree."

He said something even more interesting to George Whyte, his legal mentor. He said, "I think by far the most important bill in our whole code is that for the diffusion of knowledge among the people. No other sure foundation can be devised, for the preservation of freedom and happiness...Preach, my dear Sir, a crusade against ignorance; establish & improve the law for educating the common people. Let our countrymen know that the people alone can protect us against these evils [tyranny, oppression, etc.] and that the tax which will be paid for this purpose is not more than the thousandth part of what will be paid to kings, priests and nobles who will rise up among us if we leave the people in ignorance."

It is plain that this is the crime we as a nation have committed against ourselves. Instead of raising leaders, we have raised kings, priests and nobles to whom we pay dearly for our ignorance [The elected leader whose greed blinds him to the fact that his post is temporary imagines himself to be king; the “priest” who draws from our ignorance to become wealthy and the elected officers, the bourgeoisie].

How comic! 

It isn’t the job of a man, changing our nation’s educational system, it will take every man, here and there to not only speak up but to go ahead and create change where each can.

 "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." Nelson Mandela

God Arraigned

Judge:        

Accusations have been made

In this great court against the defendant.

There have been many witnesses

And incriminating evidences.

There is no doubt left in my mind

That the accused stands condemned

In the very things he has been accused of.

I am and bear witness to some of these accusations,

I have been a victim too.

The plaintiffs stated

That the defendant claimed to be good and loving,

But he does not care

About the wars that are killing innocent children,

The natural disasters that are destroying cities and lives,

The terror that is claiming the land

And the evil that threatens our very existence.

The defendant has been asked why he allows

Death to claim youths in their prime,

The young girl to be widowed too early and left with babies,

A father to walk out on a family,

A mother to die at child birth,

And parents to bury children.

“Where were you when I was raped?” He has been asked

“When the thieves came?

When the accident happened?

When I called

And begged for help?

How can you claim to be love,

To be kind,

To understand,

To care,

When all you think about is yourself,

And your laws and your judgements?”

Before I pass the judgement in this great court

Does the defendant have anything to say?

God:           

I have been silent.

I have listened to your accusations.

I have watched the proceedings silently.

Permit me to speak plainly.

My patience is not my inability.

My grace is not my failure.

My love is not my weakness.

Your words against me have been false and harsh.

Judge:                  

But you answered nothing.

You chose to be your own lawyer

And yet you refused to speak in your defence.

We... I find your silence injudicious.

It has failed to help you in substantiating your innocence.

But you have my permission to speak.

God:           

I will speak when I please

And I need no man to grant me permission.

You will listen and you will hear.

But I have granted you the ability to choose;

To believe or not to believe,

To obey or not to obey,

To live or to die.

I am sovereign!

I do as I please indeed.

But I think no evil.

I plan no evil.

I do no evil.

I have made all things beautiful,

But you have sought out evil inventions.

Your thoughts are constantly evil

And your world is the result of your choices.

I help all who look to me for help.

I understand and feel the pain of those who hurt,

The tears of those who mourn,

The anger of those who feel abandoned,

Left alone and dying.

But I’m never far away.

I am constantly working all things together for good.

Yet you limit your results by your words.

You complain while I work

And it is distracting.

You nag me with your accusations

And annoy me with your self pity parties.

Yet, I am patient.

I wait patiently for you to change your thinking

And your sour attitude

Which stink to the heavens.

Where is the praise?

Where is the thanksgiving that spurs me on to work?

What thanks do I get for the sun?

“It is too hot.”

What thanks do I get for the rain?

“Oh stupid rain!”

What thanks do I get for the new day?

“Oh another crazy day!”

What thanks do I get for the life I give you”

“I am sick and tired of this life, this work, this child,this spouse, this house, this, this, this, this, this...”

And it is only for a moment -

This challenge that has come to make you strong.

And it is so inconsequential -

This challenge when compared to the good that it ispreparing you for.

The birth process is over,

The child brings joy,

But who is thankful?

You fill my ears with pain.

It is painful to hear your ingratitude,

Upsetting to see that you distrust me.

To what do I owe your lack of trust?

You constantly give me reason to end it all.

You take me for granted.

And you dare to accuse me of your failings?

I have given you everything that leads to life andgodliness.

And you dare to accuse me of your shortcoming?

I have loved you with an everlasting love.

And you dare to accuse me of not caring?

As rightful Judge and King over all

I shall sit in judgement.

And I shall pass judgement.

What have you to say for yourselves?

Plaintiffsand Judge:      

We are on our knees,

And we weep with shame.

We have been rash with our tongues,

We have spoken in haste,

Our words have been harsh,

We have ensnared ourselves.

We have no plea.

We are guilty.

God:           

You have judged yourselves.

Plaintiffsand Judge:      

Yet we plead the blood of Jesus.

And we come in his name,

And we ask for mercy.

Yes mercy and grace

That we have taken for granted.

We beg your love which we have abused

And your patience which we have drawn out.

Be merciful to us

And do not deal with us as we deserve.

God:          

It is to think that I am selfish,

Without feelings for your pain

That you accuse me of being unjust and uncaring.

Yet know this:

I will share my glory with no other

And whatever you place above me

I will take away from you.

Rise!

You are forgiven.

Accuse me no more.

Reporter:    

In an uncanny turn of events,

The case that was brought before the court was struck out.

The defendant became the judge

While the judge joined the plaintiffs

To plead guilty and pray for mercy.

In the matter between men and God,

Men were found guilty of wrongly accusing their Maker.

And, the defendant decided

In the goodness of his heart

To drop all charges.

This court was adjourned

And will reconvene at a later date

On the case between

Men and the devil.

LIMITED WITHOUT FAITH

I read through the bible and I could not help but notice that this is a book of love. It is a book of the God who loves so intensely, so passionately and so consciously, you cannot claim lack of notice. His love sweeps you off your feet like a whirlwind. It washes over you like a tidal wave; you cannot resist the power with which it hits you. Hit, you fall under the forcefulness of this tsunami. The simplicity of this love brings you to your knees in tears. Its validity you cannot deny.

I am still standing.

Why?

I stand because I look within. I try to reason it out. Why am I loved? Do I deserve it? Does God really love me? Who am I to be loved?

I stand because I look without. I try to figure God out. What kind of God is he? If He truly is love, why is the world falling apart? Why are children dying of hunger and paying the price for wars they know nothing about? Why isn’t anything working?

I stand because my mind wants to understand God. I stand because I compare the truth of His love with my experience. I find it hard to believe I can be loved and that by the Almighty God.

Boundless, immortal, invincible, awesome brrzzzzz... There are no words to sufficiently, properly describe God. That’s how to describe my reach; how far my thoughts and analysis can go - brrzzzzz...

Limited.

I am limited. Language is limited. Human mind, human sight, human imagination, human experience is limited. We grope in the darkness of our human understanding. We search for the light that properly illuminates Him and even in that light we still cannot behold Him as He is.

Limited.

To know Him, we fall short in our search, to things we can see, things we can describe, things we can imagine. To understand Him, we reduce Him to things we can touch and explain and own.

Limited.

Who are you? I want to know you? Are you really there? If you are there give me a sign. Even our questions limit us; for even when a sign is given it is soon forgotten and we seek yet another sign, another explanation and ask more questions.

Faith.

That’s the answer to our limitations. That’s the light that promises guidance through our darkness. Faith in who He says He is; faith to believe Him even when His words are too true for our human minds to accept. We need to have faith in his love for us. Faith brings us closer to Him.

Faith.